Have you ever wondered how some addicts get money for their addictive habit? With many addicts so deep in the grips of addiction, it is difficult to hold down a job. Due to such some have taken to scrapping for metal such as copper in order to fund their addiction. Film makers in Denver, CO are just about finished with a documentary that shares real life stories of addicts who are addicted to heroin and scrap for copper in order to make money. Be sure to tune into this eye-opening film this fall.
Funding the Addiction
With the high number of people addicted to opiates, such as heroin, in the United States, film makers in Denver, CO33 are in the process of creating a documentary that shares the stories of those addicts who scrap for metal in order to support their habit. With over 200,000 men and women addicted to heroin alone, this documentary is needful and will give a good glimpse of the real life that addicts live from day to day hooked on such a highly addictive drug.
Copper: The Documentary
Copper: The Documentary is an indie film production that takes the film crew to the streets of Denver to take a real look at how addicts balance their addiction with their survival. As you can imagine, the day to day life of a heroin addict is a bit different than a non-addict. Scrapping for metal, whether legally or illegally, seems to be a common way addicts get money to support their addiction.
Before filming, the film crew underwent training in the area of drug abuse and how to treat those who overdose via injections. They use naloxone, which is a drug that essentially counteracts the effects of opiates like heroin, OxyContin, and meth. For example, if an addict injects himself and overdoses, if an injection of naloxone is given within 20 minutes, it can reverse the overdose by removing the opiate’s effects on the cells of the brain.
Naloxone
According to the Center for Disease and Control, Naloxone has been used to save over 10,000 lives since it first came onto the scene in 1996. Though it has been around for some years, the drug has only been available to the public for a short couple of years. The emergency rooms have had their hands on the drug for years, but rarely get a chance to use it, as you must use the drug within 3 minutes of the overdose in order to help the addict, as brain damage can occur after 3 minutes of the overdose.
The film crew will have Naloxone handy just in case while they are filming an overdose occurs. Though it is helpful when it comes to cases of overdose, unfortunately Naloxone cannot help an addict overcome their addiction to opiates.
The film is currently under production and is due to be released in the fall of 2014. For more information, please visit Copper: The Documentary’s website or check out their Facebook page. You can also visit their blog (Copper Blog) for links to different programs in the community that work to shed light on the opiate addiction problems in the area.
Find Help Today
For addicts struggling with an opiate addiction and their families, this documentary will be an informative watch for addicts and their families to watch. It is quite necessary to continue to raise awareness of widespread opiate addiction.
Image: Flickr